My Favorite Mistake
by bemyserendipity
Summary: What if Ziva met the team before Kate died? Mossad Officer Ziva David finds more than Ari's leftovers when she gets to NCIS, particularly an Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Post Bete Noire.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS

**A/N:** Hello there! I told my previous readers that I would write a Tiva story, so here it is! It's AU, but I like the thought of it. Tony and Ziva are different people in this story, so I think it's going to be fun to write the different dynamic between the two.

Summary: What if Ziva met the team before Kate died? Mossad Officer Ziva David finds more than Ari's leftovers when she gets to NCIS, particularly an Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Post Bete Noire.

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Tony knocked back the last of his bourbon with a pinched expression. Even after almost three years of drinking the stuff, he still couldn't figure out how his boss managed to enjoy it. He supposed after the first few sips that killed your taste buds that it was manageable to drink, but it burned all the senses like a wild fire let loose on a forest. It seemed though lately that it was all Tony was in the mood for. Perhaps because of recent events with Ari and his team, he felt he could only lose himself in the burning sensation of bourbon.

"Another bourbon, sir?"

With practiced ease, Tony smiled and nodded like his mind wasn't clouded with all the problems of his life. The bartender, a cutesy blonde with freckles, smiled back. She told him she'd get that for him right away, bold enough to even wink flirtatiously at him. Normally, Tony would've jumped at the chance with the blonde, but it had been a rough day at work. The database running Ari's face through facial recognition shut down for a bit, sending Gibbs into a full-out riot. He yelled and terrified every single person who so much as glanced at him. When McGee came up and eventually fixed it, none of the previous data was saved, so the search for Ari had been started over; literally. All in all, Tony would've had three drinks and picked up the first woman he saw, but it wasn't any normal day. This day had set back the chance to find Ari by a tenfold, pissing off everyone on the team. It also didn't help his mood that he had heard Kate sniffling in the ladies room before he'd left work.

"Here you go." The blonde handed him his ordered bourbon as well as a shot glass of what could only be tequila. At his dumbfounded look, the bartender nodded her head over to the other end of the bar. "The pretty woman with the curly hair sent this. She said it looked like you could use it." With a shrug and another smile, she walked off to tend to the other patrons.

Tony followed where the bartender had nodded, finding the woman she spoke of easily and quickly. He felt a tug in his gut that made him chuckle. He was acting like a high schooler when a gorgeous woman sent him a drink. Though, gorgeous didn't seem to cover the woman at the other end of the bar. She was standing and talking into a phone with an annoyed look. She had a lithe body of a dancer, muscled but slim. She wore cargo pants that hugged her hips and a plain t-shirt that seemed to look fantastic on her body. A body a tanned olive color, a unique color that Tony found hard to describe. Like the bartender said, her hair was curly, but not hippie-frizzy curly. Her curls were dark and unruly, wild and seductive in a way that begged to have fingers in as they framed her face, enhancing her widow's peak. As if sensing his gaze, her eyes locked with his, dark brown eyes that were bright and endless with mysteries pleading to be unlocked. She quickly ended her conversation on the phone before making her way towards him, hips swaying and all.

"Is this seat taken?" Her voice was melodic with an accent Tony recognized as Middle-Eastern. He shook his head no, and she sent him a smirk that had his stomach twirling. Looking away quickly, Tony took the shot of tequila that woman sent him. He needed to get a lot more drunk if he was going to make it through the evening. "What has brought you here?"

"Work," Tony replied, trying to act cool as he lifted his bourbon to his lips. He sipped a small amount, trying his best not to gag. "What about you?"

"The same," she answered off-handedly.

"Tony," he blurted out, slurring slightly. He chuckled nervously and stuck out his hand. "The name's Tony."

With an amused smile, she shook his hand, saying, "Ziva."

Ziva. That was new. And exotic, not to mention hot. Ziva.

The said woman waved over the bartender and order two shots of tequila, sending a sultry look his way. When the drinks arrived, the two cheered before drinking the shots with ease.

Ziva propped her elbow on the bar, laying her head in her hand. She smiled at him, not the least bit tipsy. Tony found himself leaning in, surprised when she didn't stop him. It reassured him that it wasn't just him. There was an undeniable attraction between so strong that it felt fatal. It didn't stop either of them though.

Cupping his cheek, Ziva closed the gap between them. Their lips met in soft kisses that were light and playful. Tony slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer. The kisses became more insistent and heated that made Tony feel more heady than the alcohol did. Ziva made a noise of delight as she deepened the kiss, and Tony lost himself in the way she was kissing him. The two could've spent the whole night like that, but a buzz came from Ziva's pocket, startling them both.

Pulling away from him, Ziva checked her phone. She scowled as she muttered something in a different language under her breath. She snapped the phone shut angrily, locking eyes with Tony. Her expression softened for a moment. She looked disappointed like there was something she was holding back. With a hint of hesitation, she caressed his cheek cautiously. She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on his lips that left a bigger impact than their first kiss had before stepping out of embrace. "Good night, Tony."

Finding it hard to think with the alcohol and feelings from the kiss coursing through his veins, Tony nodded dumbly. Ziva smiled in response before slipping out of the bar with Tony's eyes following after her. He watched the door shut close before spinning towards the bar once again.

"Bartender, another shot of tequila please!"

The next morning, Tony trudged into work hung over with sunglasses over his eyes. He barely heard Kate and McGee teasing him through the pounding in his head and the ringing in his ears. He collapsed at his desk and laid down, burying his face into his folded arms on the desk. He had the worst hang over imaginable, but he was able to remember one clear thing from last night: Ziva. Their kiss that still had him buzzing inside.

There was the tell-take ding of the elevator and soft footsteps that told Tony someone was heading the team's way. The footsteps came to a stop, but he didn't bother to look. He'd let Kate take care of it.

"I am looking for Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Wait a minute.

Tony bolted up, ignoring the light that blinded him as well as the new throbbing to his head. The only thing he saw was Ziva smiling at him devilishly as she asked once again where Gibbs was.

"Why do you want to know?" Kate inquired defensively while Tony continued to gape.

"Mossad Officer Ziva David. I am here to discuss Ari Haswari with him."

Shit.

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**A/N:** 1,241 words.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS.

**A/N:** Oh happy days, I've updated! The beginning chapters are going to be the teams' first interactions with Ziva and what they think of her. We've seen Tony's, this one is Kate's, and the next will most likely be McGee's. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

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Normally, Kate didn't judge someone at first sight. It was unethical and shallow.

But seeing Ziva David casually sitting on Tony's desk, talking to him like old buddies made Kate's stomach churn. It wasn't jealousy, at least not romantically. Tony was her big brother, not much else. After watching the two interact, Kate realized she was jealous of how at ease they were with each other, how close. They leaned into each other's personal space more often than not. Tony and her had those tender secret-sharing moments from time-to-time, but she was was almost positive they never looked quite as... Cozy.

"Mossad?" Tony said with a grin. "Why didn't you tell me?" He gave her a playful swat to the knee. "And here I thought we were close."

Ziva said something in return that Kate didn't care to hear. All she could think about was that the other woman was there to talk to them about Ari, Ari Haswari. Kate stifled a shudder. Though the nightmares had faded with the time that'd passed, his deceivingly handsome face still haunted her subconscious when she was home alone with no team to give her support.

"Agent Todd?"

Kate snapped out of her thoughts, realizing Ziva was standing in front of her desk with a patient look. She gave her a weak smile and replied accordingly.

"I apologize sincerely for the trouble Ari has caused all of you," Ziva explained, her face indifferent and cool. "I'm afraid when our Director let him do one mission, he decided to do another. Is there anything we can do for you to help?"

Kate blinked once, twice, three times at Ziva. A stranger offering to help bring her closure for what her own colleague had done to her.

"Officer David," Kate said with surprise. "Thank you, but I think you can make it up to me by coming with me for coffee." It wasn't a question, a statement. A demand. Ziva seemed to take it in stride though. She bid Tony and McGee a quick good-bye before following Kate as she made her way to the elevator.

"I know this might be too personal," Ziva said awkwardly. "But are you and Tony...?"

"Me and Tony?" Kate snorted. "God, no. Not even in a million years."

"I see," Ziva hummed.

The two kept up their small talk, pauses in between when the other couldn't think of what to say. While they walked to a coffee stand a few blocks down, Kate found it hard to dislike Ziva. Her original intention in asking her out for coffee, as ashamed as she was about it, was to scare the other woman into leaving; to leave their team alone. But as they walked together chatting aimlessly, Kate found it harder and harder to hate Ziva the way she wanted to with Ari.

Ziva was beautiful, but she wasn't that pushy and snobby kind. Kate assumed she didn't even bother with it regardless since she was wearing cargo pants and a t-shirt. Throughout their conversation, Ziva proved to Kate that she wasn't a bad person. She was pretty horrific when it came to idioms, but she was kind and had a wry sense of humor with an underlying sense of mischief. From time-to-time, Ziva would let things slip about Mossad; things like how she started from a young age and had lost many close ones through the years. Hearing the things Ziva has been as she casually mentions it in a slightly grim tone, Kate couldn't fault her in the way she wanted to.

Once they got their coffee, the two opted to take a seat on a bench in the park across the street. Kate knew it wasn't smart to be missing when Gibbs got back from his own coffee run, but she still had a few things to ask Ziva that she couldn't around the others.

"Why are you here?" Kate found herself saying before she could even process she was.

Ziva looked genuinely surprised by the question before saying, "I already told you. I am here to speak with Agent Gibbs about Ari."

With a sigh, Kate leaned back and pinched her nose. "I know that, but I see the look on your face when you mention Ari. It's not a colleague cleaning up after another, or even a concerned co-worker. I was a profiler for years before I came here. There is more to this than just business."

In an instant, Ziva's nonchalant demeanor disappeared. She visibly tensed, shoulders stiff. Her face grew hard and cold like a diamond; beautiful yet unfeeling.

"I think we are done here, Agent Todd," Ziva all but snapped.

"No, I don't think we are," Kate replied angrily. She had no proof, but she felt like Ziva was keeping something huge from everyone. Something that could likely hurt the team in more ways than one. "Officer David, tell me the real reason you're here."

"I do not answer to you."

For a moment, two pairs of eyes locked. Both were brown, but each held a separate story. One pair was wide and light, trust and honor shining through. These were happy with who she was, proud even. The other was dark and almost sinister, secrets and lies whispering. This one? She was not happy with who she was, but she had accepted long ago that this was all she was ever going to be.

"I think that you had better stop asking questions that you should not, Agent Todd." Holding Kate's gaze for a second longer, Ziva stood abruptly. She sent an almost blank look to the agent before storming away, a cloud of fury following after her.

Kate stared after her helplessly. There was more to this visit of hers than she was letting on. Kate just had to figure out what.

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**A/N:** 1,002 words. Obviously we all know what Ziva is hiding, but the team doesn't. So what did you think? Awesome or mediocre? I am totally up for some creative criticism and to hear your thoughts. REVIEW! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS

**A/N:** Hey there! Okay, so this chapter is shorter than usual because I need to get the ball rolling to get to the interesting stuff like TIVA! Anyways, enjoy.

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Though he'd never admit this aloud, McGee actually liked working with Kate, Tony, and Gibbs. But like with family, sometimes it's nice to just be alone.

McGee leaned back in his chair. He stifled a yawn as he stared at his screen. A few paragraphs of neatly typed words glared right back, mocking his lack of inspiration. He frowned and closed the document. Writing was a passion of his, but he never knew what to write. It'd just feel wrong. He tried writing about his life, solving crimes, but it was too boring for even him to read. There wasn't any drama or romance going on to make it interesting.

Just as McGee was about to reopen the word document, Ziva walked into the bullpen with her face clouded by anger, resentment, and surprisingly despair. She was alone, so McGee could only assume the Kate and her got into an argument. Ziva paused in the middle of the bullpen. She glanced around, probably looking for Tony. The two seemed remarkably close, even if they'd met before. When she saw he wasn't there, her gaze zeroed in on McGee. The said agent gulped, praying she couldn't smell the fear emanating from him.

"Agent McGee, could you tell me where Tony is?"

Blinking several times, McGee stammered, "He, uh, he went to go sp-speak with Abby, our forensics person."

A ghost of what McGee could've sworn was a smile graced Ziva's face. "Are you afraid of me, Agent McGee?"

Deciding she'd be able to catch his lies within seconds of being told them, McGee sighed as he admitted sheepishly, "Yeah, a lot actually. I mean, the whole Mossad Officer thing is kind of terrifying."

There was a beat of silence before Ziva started laughing. Real life, laughing. A smile bloomed on her lips, turning her scowling features into something much more attractive and delicate. She held onto the edge of his desk when she managed to stumble over to it. McGee had to admit she looked normal and happy when she laughed, and he could understand why Tony was a lovesick pup over her.

She abruptly stopped laughing, traces of it lingering in her eyes. "I apologize for that, but I do not think you realize how long it has been since I have been called terrifying. They usually save that for my father or his contacts." Her joy faded within seconds, quickly replaced by a stoic solemnness. Apparently family was a sore subject for her like it was for him. She cleared her throat, composing herself in a flash. "If you could, will you excuse me to the lab to speak with your forensic scientist?"

McGee didn't believe for a second that Ziva couldn't escort herself down to the lab, but he agreed regardless. He needed to talk to her anyways; warn her about messing with the teams and such.

They got onto the elevator, and it barely moved a foot before McGee switched on the emergency brake. He turned around to see Ziva nonchalantly leaned against the back wall with her arms crossed over her chest, clearly unsurprised. Taking a shaky breath, McGee said, "I know you're here about Ari, probably to tell us not to go after him, but the things is, we can't." Ziva stared at him. "He went after our own, Kate, I mean Agent Todd. He also shot our ME's assistant; he's in the hospital right now for physical therapy from what I've heard. Ari's attacked the team in the most personal ways possible, and we are going to catch that bastard."

It was a great speech, but McGee felt his surge of confidence fade away when Ziva clapped slowly and mockingly. She pushed off the wall and approached him like a predator does with its prey.

"Believe me when I say it is better that you forget Ari Haswari ever existed, Agent McGee." Her voice was soft yet daunting, an underlying current of anguish beneath her threat.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," McGee said firmly. "And neither can Tony, Gibbs, and especially Kate." He felt his voice on the brink of cracking. He didn't want to lose it in front of her, but he needed to get it through to her that they couldn't just let Ari go so easily; not after everything he did. "You can try to stop us from chasing after Ari, but the moment you leave, we'll start right back up. He hurt the team. He is not going to get away with this, Officer David."

"Is that it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Ziva flicked it the elevator back on. She was standing straight, tense and coiled like a snake about to bite. She wouldn't meet McGee's eye even though he was sure she knew he was watching her.

As the elevator stopped, Ziva said, "I hope you will see I am merely here on passing business, Agent McGee." Her voice went cold. "I am not here to break up your precious team, but I make no promises that nothing will happen to it."

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**A/N:** 870 words. So what'd you think? Tell me in a review, por favor~! Next chapter, Ziva gets to meet Abby and Tony down in the lab. Interesting, yes?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS.

**A/N:** Hey-o! I must say this chapter took a darker turn than I thought, but I like to think it's good. Enjoy!

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Abby and Tony were close. He was her big brother, protective and caring. She was his little sister, pestering and sweet. They told each other secrets, confided in each other. Abby liked to know things about Tony that others didn't, as did Tony about Abby. They had a sacred pact of no lying to each other unless completely and utterly dire. But in this case, Tony didn't tell Abby something big. That something was a gorgeous Israeli that he called Ziva.

"Is she pretty?" Abby asked before taking a sip of her Caf Pow, spinning around on her stool.

"She's gorgeous," Tony admitted a bit dreamily. He leaned back against her the table by her computer.

"Like how gorgeous?"

Laughing, Tony said, "Utterly and completely. She's not that petty, tell me I'm pretty, Abs. She's not fake, or materialistic. She's that confident, sexy, gorgeous."

"Someone sounds like they're already halfway in love," Abby teased. She hopped off the stool and came to stand next to him. "You know, Tony, she didn't just come for you. She came here to stop us from nailing Ari. Don't be blindsided by her, okay?"

"Of course not," Tony said, hurt crossing his features. He was more intrigued by Ziva than he liked, but letting Ari go for her? That wasn't worth it. He wouldn't let Kate down like that; because no matter how he acted, Tony saw Kate as a sister, and he was going to have her six even when she was fed up with him. "I'll make sure Ari's six feet under before I even think about sleeping with Ziva."

"Too late for that," Abby smirked.

Tony opened his mouth to say something when Ziva poked her head into the lab, wearing an amused look. "Hey, Ziva," he said easily, aware of how Abby seemed to be analyzing his every move; it didn't help that Ziva was doing the same. "What brings you down to Labbyland?"

Looking confused, Ziva ignored 'Labbyland', and replied, "I have taken it upon myself to introduce myself to all crucial members of the team, DiNozzo." If she noticed the hurt that crossed Tony's features, she didn't say anything. "Ms. Scuito, it is a pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand, but Abby stared at it for a moment. And then, they did that weird thing Tony know only women could do. Brown eyes locked with green ones. There was at least a moment of tense silence, until Abby relented, shaking Ziva's hand.

"I heard you're here to save Ari's sorry ass." Tony held back a snort. That was his Abby, straightforward yet sweet about it nonetheless.

Ziva took it in stride though, calmly saying, "Ari is a Mossad Officer. We require his assistance back in Israel."

"Yeah, I don't think so."

This time, Ziva almost did a double take. She stepped closer, barely a foot between her and Abby. Tony watched nervously, making sure he knew when he needed to cut in if necessary. "Do you have something to say, Ms. Scuito?" Her voice was dangerously low, a predator taunting their prey.

"I do, actually," Abby retorted hotly. "I don't care what you need Ari for. He's _ours._" A beat of silence passed as Abby tried to keep her temper in check; Ziva's left eyebrow twitched. "He almost killed Kate! He shot Gerald in the knee, and he went for Ducky too!" Somewhere along those words, Abby's voice rose to a yell. "He hurt my family, you hear me? I don't know what they have in Israel, kidnapping kids when they're young and raising them without a heart, but I need you to realize, that Ari is out to get my family."

"Abby," Tony tried to stop her.

"Kate is my best friend, Ms. Mossad Officer," Abby snapped. "She is my _sister_, and the day you stop us from taking down Ari is the day I'm six feet under, got it?" She did a movement that looked like she was crossing her arms over her chest, but she was actually hugging herself. Tony recognized it as a way she often comforted herself. "And poor Gerald is in rehab right now, trying to walk again because Ari shot him! In the knee. People do not just go around shooting people in the knee. Normal people do not just go around _stealing bodies. _Mossad or not."

"Abs, that's enough," Tony told her softly.

"No, Tony, it's not!" Abby cried, tears apparent, voice cracked. "Kate could've been killed down there! She might've bled out, and what would've been the last words I said to her? 'See you later, Kate'? Kate could be dead right now without knowing how much I care about her, how much I need her for advice and just to be my friend." She turned to Ziva, anger and sorrow laced together as one in her words. "I doubt you have friends, but if you do, what would you do if someone else almost shot them. Was this close to shooting them?" Abby seemed to have snapped, and Tony could only watch helplessly. "She has nightmares, you know," she said quietly, her dark voice echoing through the silence. "About that, about Ari. She spent the night the other day, and I woke up in the middle of the night to her _screaming_, begging Ari to shoot her." Ziva gave no reaction. "Did you hear me? _Kate was telling Ari to shoot her._"

"Ms. Scuito," Ziva growled. "I want you to know that you do not know me. You do not know how I was raised, and you do not know Ari either. You are free to judge us as much as you want, but until you experience what we have gone through, you have no right saying those things to me."

She didn't wait for an answer. Ziva turned on her heel, and left the lab, a deafening silence following her wake.

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**A/N:** 1,021 words. Wow, I wasn't expecting a confrontation this chapter, but it just sort of flowed. In the series, we see that Abby is often cold and stand-offish to Ziva, and I feel this reflects what could've happened if Abby was a bit more fragile. I also wanted to add in the bit about Kate's nightmares because I think someone as new to situations such as that would have to deal with some sort of PTSD.

Okay, so what did you think? Leave me a review please!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS.

**A/N:** Hey, guys! Here's the update you've been waiting for, and I'm happy to say I really like this chapter. I _really _like it. I hope you feel the same way. Enjoy!

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Attacking the punching bag with all her pent up fury and frustration, Ziva could feel herself grow out of breath as her knuckles became bloody from hitting the rough material repeatedly. She was trained to be able to keep up a façade; and she was. None of these people could see her inner turmoil. The way she was beginning to doubt her mission to save Ari's ass from their torches and pitchforks. None of them knew how her heart went out to them as they bared their heart out to her about their fears for Kate. Roundhouse kicking the punching bag, Ziva cursed herself for remembering every dead partner or officer she worked with; their faces flashed through her mind with such clarity it was like a slap to a face with every different person that passed through her thoughts.

The muffled sounds of footsteps alerted her of someone coming, but she continued to terrorize the inanimate object, using much more force than before. She heard the soft swish of the door opening and the click of it closing. Ziva didn't bat an eyelash though; she knew who it was. She just kept up her assaults against the punching bag, sweat dripping into her eyes from the intensity. It wasn't until she hit the bag from a new angle, hitting her bloodied hand at the wrong place. She made no noise to signal she was in any pain. She just let out a low sigh, finally stopping her ministrations.

"Not bad."

Ziva grabbed the water bottle she brought with her and took a long drink from it as she turned around. She drained all of it before screwing the lid back on. Dressed in only cargo pants and a sports bra, shoes and t-shirt tossed aside long ago, she felt oddly under dressed compared to his polo, slacks, and sports jacket. She quirked an eyebrow at him, but he merely shrugged. As he stopped leaning against the wall, he tossed her another water bottle. She nodded her thanks before downing half of it.

"I have been trained for my entire life in hand-to-hand combat, and all I get is 'not bad'?" Ziva remarked dryly as she tossed aside the bottle. She circled the punching bag before choosing a spot on the side where she could still see Gibbs out of the corner of her eye. She took a steadying breath, cracking her neck. Then she lunged. Her limbs were nothing but a dangerous flurry as they kneed and punched, elbowed and kicked at the bag with such ferocity that it creaked a bit, threatening to fall. Ziva kept up the routine for ten more minutes, never slowing, completely aware of the blue eyes that analyzed her every move. She stopped, placing her hands on the punching bag as she caught her breath. She wiped away the sweat that gathered at her forehead, leaning over to grab the half-empty water bottle. After finishing it, she stated rather blandly, "I am here to stop you from arresting Ari, Agent Gibbs."

"I know."

"Then why no threats?" Ziva inquired as she swaggered her way over to him slowly, sweat shining off every inch of her body. "It seems to be something your team enjoys to do."

"I know."

With furrowed eyebrows, Ziva stopped a good few feet in front of him. "I _am _going to stop you from getting, Ari."

Gibbs chuckled, and he tossed her a towel from out of nowhere. She caught it nonetheless, using it to dab at her forehead. "There's one thing you need to know, David, my people don't threaten. They promise." With that he spun on his heel, and he got onto the elevator, blue eyes boring in Ziva like the wise investigator he was.

Ziva turned to practice her forms when she heard the elevator ding. She turned around, expecting Gibbs to be back with another witty saying, but instead, it was Tony that hopped off the elevator, dressed in jeans and a casual button-up, carrying two coffees. When he saw her, his eyes lit up as did his entire face as a goofy grin enveloped it.

"Hello, Zee-vah," Tony greeted cheekily, handing her one of the cups. "I didn't know what you liked, so I just got you black." He took a step back, and Ziva didn't miss the way his eyes raked over her half-naked form, sweat glistening on skin from her work-out. He leaned against the wall like Gibbs had done not too long ago, and Ziva merely cocked her head at him as she took a sip. It was a bitter for her taste, but she drank it anyways; she was never one to turn down a decent cup of coffee.

"Did you come down here for a reason?" Ziva asked before an uncomfortable silence could settle over them.

"I can't come visit our visitor from Israel without getting any questions asked?" Tony joked lightly, but Ziva merely stared at him. He gave a strained laugh before the smile fell off of his face. "I came to apologize for Abby."

"I do not need an apology," Ziva replied calmly. The last thing she needed was to get worked up again after a two-hour spar. Her eyes met his green ones, so clear and open. There was an underlying darkness in them that she hadn't expected to see, but she was intrigued by it. "You might as well go back up to your... family, DiNozzo. I am not accepting any sort of apology." She turned her back on him and was about to make her way back to the punching bag when she felt his hands ghost over her hips. She froze, feeling his warm breath against the nape of her neck.

"DiNozzo?" Tony repeated, voice low and husky that sent shivers down her spine. "Last night, it was Tony."

Biting her lip, Ziva turned around. His eyes were dark; as dark as she was sure hers were. It would stupid to lie about the attraction between them, the need to be inappropriately close with a man she just met yesterday. But, he was charmingly different; albeit a bit annoying.

After a moment, Ziva said, "Yes, DiNozzo." She allowed herself a small smirk. "I smell and am covered in sweat, and I wouldd hate to get you like this too. But then, that would be the icing on the cookie, would it not?" She continued her way, pausing to bend down and grab her things before brushing by him, pleased to seem him still stuck in the position she left him in.

It wasn't until she boarded the elevator that he called out, "It's the icing on the cake, Ziva!" As the doors slid shut, Ziva let herself laugh.

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**A/N:** 1,146 words. Was I just exaggerating, or what? I'd love to hear what you thought in a review! Next chapter: Awesome awkwardness as Ziva gets to meet the team as a whole, and then she adds a whole 'nother layer of awkwardness when she mentions someone from Gibbs' past. Any ideas who?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don 't own NCIS

**A/N:** Hi there! So guys, I rewrote this chapter about three times because I couldn't decide how to get Ziva to mention Jenny, but I like how this turned out, so enjoy!

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The next morning, the team was in the gym to spar. They paired off; Kate and Tony while McGee was left to fend for himself against Gibbs. With Kate in her usual yoga pants and tank, Tony had trouble focusing on fighting rather than Kate's lithe form. McGee, on the other hand, was focusing too hard on fighting. He put too much thought into each move, giving Gibbs time to execute move after move. All in all, half the team was having their asses whooped and handed to them on a silver platter.

"Really, DiNozzo?" Kate panted as she pinned him to the ground for the third time. "I thought we already discussed not to go easy on me, with McGee as an example."

"Well, I'd hate to end up the same way McGee did," Tony decided. Without even batting an eyelash, he flipped them over with him straddling her hips. He chuckled with a flirty wink. "But I gotta say, Katie, the view was much better when you were on top." With a sound of disgust and protest, Kate started berating Tony with rather vulgar language as she bucked against his hold on her. "Are you sure you don't want me to go easy on you now?" He leaned down so their faces were barely a few inches apart. He opened his mouth to make another witty remark when he heard someone clear their throat. Both agents looked up to see Ziva standing next to them with an amused look, eyebrows raised.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ziva asked, gesturing to their position and close proximity.

"Ugh, never," Kate spat, roughly shoving Tony off of her. She straightened out her clothes and glanced down at Tony. She paused and almost snorted at the dreamy look on his face. She looked back to Ziva, and she rolled her eyes at him. Apparently he was more smitten with Ziva than any of them thought if he was reduced to a puddle of mush at the sight of her in yoga pants and a sports bra. Nudging him with her foot, Kate called to Tony with a mocking tone, "DiNozzo, should I call up a janitor to mop up the drool from your mouth?"

Shaking his head, Tony hopped to his feet with a grin and a cheerful, "Zee-vah!" He made an effort to modestly flex his arms that were bare from his sleeveless shirt, but it only ended with Kate and Ziva snorting. He pouted for a minute before suggesting, "Would you like to spar with us?" Me. It was implied, and it was utterly obvious that he meant sparring with him.

"Sparring sounds like fun," Ziva replied with a sly smile. Tony grinned, and said, "Great!" As he said this, she turned to Kate, waving a hand at the mats. "If you could, I would appreciate the chance to spar with you, Agent Todd."

Blinking a few times, Kate laughed. She nodded her head to the mats, saying, "Yeah, Ziva, sure." She glanced over her shoulder and saw Tony blatantly glaring at her. She laughed at his reaction before turning to Ziva. The other woman was taller than Kate, but lithe as well, though it looked like she was more toned. With a quick good luck to each other, the two women began to spar. It was pretty even, until Kate realized that Ziva was toying with her; this was just a warm-up for her. Picking up pace, they sparred for a solid fifteen minutes, ending when Ziva pinned Kate to the ground for the second time in a row.

"God, you were going easy on me too," Kate sighed as Ziva slipped off of her, offering a hand. She took it and got onto her feet, wiping away a few beads of sweat from her eyes. "I feel sorry for your suspects," Kate joked. "It must be hell to be interrogated by you."

"Thank you," Ziva said with a surprisingly warm twinkle in her eyes. "I will admit I had someone beat me once. I was feeling off that day though!"

"Really?" Tony jumped in, joining the two as they walked over to the water. "Who was she?"

"A partner of mine in the past," Ziva replied. "She worked an anti-terrorist op with me in Cairo a few years ago. I think she said she used to work for NCIS, actually," she added, biting her lip in thought.

"What's her name?" Kate inquired curiously. "Maybe we know her."

"Jenny Shepard."

Before either could reply, all of their heads snapped to the familiar sound of a body hitting the mats. Shockingly though, it wasn't McGee; it was Gibbs. The probie looked flustered, looking back and forth between his boss and his fellow agents, sputtering like an idiot. "I-I," McGee stammered. "He looked distracted when he heard you guys talking, so I tried to take him down." His eyes widened. "I didn't think it would actually _work._"

Without even so much as a grunt or snarl, Gibbs got back onto his feet, rolling his shoulders nonchalantly. He stared at Ziva, until she looked, and asked, "How's Jen?"

"Good," Ziva instinctively answered. She paused for a moment, confusion crossing her features before a knowing smile overtook her face. "I see," she hummed. "You are _that _Jethro, correct?"

Grunting, Gibbs shoved on a pair of boxing gloves.

"Wait, you know Ziva's Jenny, boss?" Tony spoke up with furrowed eyebrows. "How?"

"She was my probie, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied shortly. "Now, are you done gossiping so we can box?"

"Yes, boss," was the immediate answer.

Watching Tony scurry into the ring, Kate glanced at Ziva, asking, "What did you mean when you said that?"

"Said what?"

"_That _Jethro," Kate repeated the words the way Ziva had, with a lingering sense innuendo.

"It is not my story to tell," Ziva chuckled softly. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Tony dance around the ring while Gibbs circled him like a predator. "You could always ask Gibbs."

"I wouldn't know what to ask though," Kate countered. "You already have most of the team against you right now. I wouldn't hurt to have another on your side, especially if it's the women who got held hostage." There it was, a flicker of emotion. "Just a hint, David."

"Ask him about Paris."

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**A/N:** 1,070 words. I hope you liked it! I'd really appreciate it if you could review! Also, a special thanks to the following for reviewing: numb8rs mystery, bdn2372, Forever Courage, EowynGoldberry, Tivaforever1, and two anonymous guests!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS.

**A/N:** Hello, lovelies! I hope you've all been great, and I hope you're even greater (if that makes sense?) now that I've updated. Wow, I just read that, and I take that back. That just sounded very conceited. Sorry 'bout that. Anyways, here's the next chapter to this story! I really like this chapter, like _really _like this chapter. Probably my favorite even! Hope you enjoy (:

Also, thank you to the following for just being awesome readers and reviewing: EowynGoldberry, prince-bishop, Forever Courage, bdn2372, numb3rs mystery, Pauxer, harryginny9, dannyxf, Madi, castlefringereader, and leoniebroeder94!

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Paris.

Kate sat at her desk, mindlessly twirling a pen with her fingers.

What could've happened in Paris?

It was a slow day in the office. There was no active case, so she and Tony were stuck with paperwork while McGee hung out downstairs with his geeks and Gibbs spent the day in MTAC with the director to discuss the finer details of Ziva's visit.

Speaking of Ziva, she hadn't come to visit headquarters for the past couple of days, leaving Tony moping and Kate clueless as to what Paris meant. She knew the Israeli told her to ask Gibbs, but was she honestly going to ask her boss about _that_? The answer was no, definitely no if you included the way Ziva had used a sexual connotation whilst describing it.

"Kate!"

She jumped, the pen she'd been twirling clattered onto her desk. Tony stood in front of her with an expectant look, arms crossed over his chest. She cocked an eyebrow at him. He did the same, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Can I help you, DiNozzo?" Kate asked with clear exasperation. At the tone of her voice, Tony's eyebrows furrowed, and Kate had to bite her lip to keeping from laughing.

"I've been calling your name for the past five minutes, Agent Todd," Tony retorted once he recovered. He set his hands on the desk and leaned forward on them. "Busy having dirty daydreams?" he teased. He took on a thoughtful look. "The real question is, who are these little fantasies about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kate said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"I do believe I am interrupting something this time."

The two sprung apart at the familiar voice. With flushed faces, they turned to face Ziva, who was wearing a smug smile as she leaned against the bullpen wall.

"Would it not be easier to just have... What do you call it? Phone sex?"

Kate's face resembled that of a tomato as she tried to nonchalantly say, "Oh, please. Tony couldn't have phone sex with me even if he tried." She rolled her eyes for good measure, but it was obvious she was flustered.

"You seem to be denying it quite vehemently," Ziva noted curiously. "There must be a reason as to why."

"Because he's Tony!" Kate exclaimed while he coughed conspicuously, "Catholic school girl." She glared at him, until he backed off with his hands in the air as surrender. "He's childish, a total flirt, and has no sense of personal boundaries," she continued. "Not to mention, a complete idiot."

"Now that, I have to agree with," Ziva said with a small smile.

"That's not fair!" Tony whined.

"Life's not fair, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he strode into the bullpen. He stopped at his desk and got out his gun, holstering it quickly. "We got a tip from an anonymous caller. They claim they saw Ari down by the shut down boardwalk. Let's move."

"I am coming with you," Ziva said at once. At Gibbs' look of disdain, she added, "I am your Mossad liaison. Ari is Mossad. Therefore, I am coming whether you like it or not, Gibbs."

After staring at her for a moment, Gibbs gave a curt nod, saying, "Let's move."

The ride to the boardwalk was tense and silent with Gibbs and Ziva in the front, and Kate and Tony in the back, shooting each other nervous looks. This could be it. They could find Ari at the boardwalk and shoot him dead. Or the odds could be against them, ending with Ari escaping their grasps once again.

"Kate, you're staying in the car."

Three heads whipped to stare at Gibbs' stoic posture, all of their eyes wide with varying looks of disbelief.

"No, I am not!" Kate snapped. "I'm not a child, Gibbs. I can protect myself. I carry a gun too, you know." It wasn't hard to hear the hurt that was laced through her words. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips were pursed, ready to defend herself if needed. She wasn't a little girl.

But Gibbs wasn't having any of it. If anything, his face grew harder as he barked, "Agent Todd, you will stay in this car, even if I have to handcuff you to the damned thing. Ari is after you, and if you go out there, he will kill you."

This time, Kate had nothing to say.

It was ten minutes later when they arrived. Gibbs and Ziva were out of the car in a flash, but Tony held back. He met Kate's eyes, and he saw something he hadn't seen in her eyes in a long time; fear. The last time he saw something akin to what he saw now was back when they first found her after she was held hostage. It was painful to see. Kate was a strong and independent woman. She shouldn't be afraid. So he did his best to muster up to his usual grin and leaned in to kiss her cheek before he said, "See ya later, Katie."

Then he was gone, jogging to catch up to the other two. He unholstered his gun quickly, ignoring the curious look Ziva gave him and the knowing one Gibbs wore. They stayed close to the worn and abandoned buildings that lined the boardwalk, eyes flickering from place to place. Tony saw him first.

He didn't shout, didn't warn Gibbs, didn't tell Ziva. He just took off into a run, feet making dull stomps against the concrete. He heard Gibbs shout after him, but he didn't slow. All he could hear, see and think about was Ari, just standing there on the creaky wood boards of an old tourist pier, staring into the ocean like he wasn't some god forsaken bastard.

Tony slowed as he stepped onto the pier, but Ari still heard him.

"Agent DiNozzo!" Ari grinned as he turned around, making his way towards the middle. He spread out his arms like a warm welcome, as if there wasn't a gun aimed for his head. "My, my. I have heard about you. It is a pleasure to actually meet." His jovial expression fell, arms falling back to his sides. "Where is Kate? I was looking forward to seeing her again."

"The only thing you'll be seeing is my bullet hitting your heart," Tony snarled. He stopped a few yards away, shoulders tense. His palms felt sweaty, and he was sure he was going to forget how to shoot. "I want to see you rot in a prison cell, but since you're Mossad, and you'll find a way to weasel out of a sentence, I guess I'll have to settle for killing you then." His voice didn't sound like him; it was so cold and vengeful.

"DiNozzo, put the gun down!" Gibbs ordered sharply, voice echoing through the empty boardwalk.

Tony turned his head slightly to catch a glance at Gibbs, to know where he was, when Ari lunged. He was knocked to the ground, gun clattering a few feet away. The first thing he registered were Ari's fists turning his face into putty as they striked repetitively. He ignored the blossoming pain that enveloped him as he managed to roll Ari onto his back, growling. He returned the favor given to him, satisfied as he felt the crunch of Ari's bones beneath his hands. Before he could do more, Gibbs was pulling him off while Ziva heaved Ari onto his feet.

"When I say gun down, I mean gun down," Gibbs breathed into his ear, slapping him upside the head. He walked away, taking out his phone to make a call. About a yard away, Ziva was letting Ari lean against her as she berated him in rapid Hebrew. Tony began to tune out her voice, head falling forward to block out the pain, but then he heard it her shout. He looked up just in time to see Ziva jump in front of the bullet Ari had shot, blatantly meant for him.

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**A/N:** 1,350 words. Well, that escalated quickly. I know, cliffhanger, but don't break out the pitchforks and torches! This story was hitting a lull, most of the chapters filled with humor, flirtation, and minor threats. So, I decided to throw in some drama because who doesn't love that? Originally, I was going to have Kate sneak out and get shot out, only to have Ziva jump in the way, but I like how I wrote it; it'll definitely cause some tiva tension (; And if you're wondering about that 'innocent' peck on the cheek, things will definitely be getting more interesting because of that. Oh! I also had to include the phone sex bit because it's just so Ziva. Anyways, tell me what you thought, and I'll try to update as soon as possible!


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